Friday, February 4, 2011

Sic Alps 'Napa Asylum'

Listening to Sic Alps last album 'U.S EZ' (2008, Siltbreeze) it's easy to see why they wound up opening for bands like Pavement and Sonic Youth last year. Sic Alps' exuberance for slacker sounds and eschewing 'studio magic' has put them on the map as a psyched-out-garage-folk-watchimacallit-band favourite. With a new album Mike Donovan and Matt Hartman are joined by a new band member Noel Harmonson (Comets of Fire). Their latest offering 'Napa Asylum' on Drag City sees the band grow without losing their primitive aesthetic. Drenched in all the distortion and reverb you can handle they concentrate on a fuller rock sound, it wouldn't be a surprise if the amplified recording style on 'Napa Asylum' attracts new music fiends to the group. Perhaps it's just me but, some songs bring Syd Barrett to mind and others wouldn't sound totally out of place on Ty Segall's 'Melted' record. Highlights on 'Napa Aslyum' are, 'Low Kid' and 'Zeppo Epp'. The weather's rubbish out right now and I can't think of a better record to spend a night in with.